Albert and Madelyn
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Albert is a First Nations man in his 40s. Madelyn, his mum, said he had been ‘a very sports-oriented young man. His room full of trophies, he got accolades after accolades’.
At 17, doctors diagnosed Albert with Asperger’s syndrome. He started receiving a Disability Support Pension.
‘I went in to Centrelink time after time and said he’s a healthy young man, he doesn’t need to be on a pension,’ Madelyn told the Royal Commission.
She said the pension stopped Albert getting a trade. He has lived with his parents since then ‘because that’s all he’s known … [although] he gets on with everybody, anybody’.
A few years ago, Albert’s behaviour changed.
‘He’s not a druggo, he’s never drank in his life, he’s never taken drugs, he’s never been that abusive person, but he’s become that person now,’ Madelyn said.
One day when Albert became violent, his parents called the police. They handcuffed him and put him in an ambulance to take him to the local hospital.
‘[It] broke my heart to be honest,’ said Madelyn. ‘We didn’t want this for our son. We just wanted help.’
While in the mental health unit Albert lost his clothes and didn’t wash, but a social worker told Madelyn, ‘[He’s] doing fine, he’s walking up and down the hallway.’
‘I said, “What’s that going to help him? He could walk up and down the hallway at home. We want to know where his problems lie and what needs to be done.”’
Madelyn told the Royal Commission no-one has provided any answers.
‘I’ve been waiting since October [last] year to tell me what my son’s diagnosis is and what happened to him in that hospital.’
When the hospital discharged Albert, he phoned his mum from another suburb.
‘I said, “What in the god are you doing over there?” And he said, “A taxi just dropped me off and I got no money and a paper bag with some dirty clothes in it.” “What is the taxi driver doing over there?” and he said, “They paid money at the hospital for me to get in a taxi over to here.”’
Madelyn called the hospital to ask why they had discharged Albert without support. ‘The phone just slammed in my ear with no explanation,’ Madelyn said.
The next day the police came to her door and arrested Albert.
‘They said, “We got a missing person out on [Albert].” I said, “Who did that?” [The officer] said, “Well, we were told they were missing. When they let him out of [the mental health unit] they were supposed to notify us.” … So they had to take [Albert] away screaming and yelling in cuffs.’
The police released Albert without charge.
‘He’s not doing too good now,’ said Madelyn. ‘He’s homeless and mental health won’t have a thing to do with him because he doesn’t fit in the basket.’
She said Albert would be better off if he had been convicted of a crime. She works with the justice system helping First Nations youth access support services after they appear in court.
‘We set [them] up and I make sure that boy gets mental health [support]. He gets housing. He gets job assistance. He gets a worker allocated. I say, “I can’t even get that for my own son.” And I fight for these kids because I know my son will never ever get it.’
‘[It has] destroyed our life,’ Madelyn said of the lack of support for Albert and his family. ‘Our relationship’s in tethers.’
‘I’m just so tired … there’s nothing at the end of that tunnel. It’s just a dirt road I’m looking at and it’s black. I can’t see anything further past that end of the road.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.